Living corpses in the freshness of the air
by Hearty Choke
Summary: The non-judging Breakfast Club finds itself tangled in a web of underworld intrigue. Chuck and Serena are kidnapped, Blair and Nate try to save them. But darn these stupid hormones, they complicate everything. ChuckxSerena, BlairxNate. Ch. 2 of 10 is up.
1. Chapter 1

**Fandom:** Gossip Girl  
**Title:** Living corpses in the freshness of the air  
**Ship(s):** Chuck/Serena, Blair/Nate  
**Rating:** R  
**Warning(s):** Spoilers for the first season, violence and sexy times

**Summary:** The non-judging Breakfast Club finds itself tangled in a web of underworld intrigue. Chuck and Serena are kidnapped, Blair and Nate try to save them. But darn these stupid hormones, they complicate everything.

* * *

**Chapter:** 1/10  
**Word count:** 1, 791

**AN: **Don't take this too seriously, people. This is what happens when the Gossip Girl season finale leaves you wanting more _and_ you watch the first two Godfather movies. In fact, I'm not entirely convinced it isn't crackfic. But anyway, reviews are appreciated. I already have an outline typed up, so I know how the story is going to progress in general, but I'm very open to suggestions.

* * *

**Chapter I**

"Mister Bass." The words were expelled through a cloud of Cuban cigar smoke. "You realize that a man in my position needs to be… careful. Normally I send my _consigliere _to represent me in business deals, but I come in person today as a sign of respect and good faith."

"I understand, and I am honored, Don Vincenzio." Bart Bass leaned forward, regarding above steepled fingers the heavyset, gray-haired man across the polished mahogany desk. "Nevertheless, my answer remains the same."

Vincenzio Carandini shrugged an elegant Armani-clad shoulder, while the two bodyguards standing behind him shifted uneasily. "You are worried about the legal ramifications. I assure you, the operation is aboveboard."

"_Perfectly _aboveboard," Frank Esposito piped up from his seat beside the Don. He had the smooth voice and easy confidence of a lawyer, which he was, and one of the best in Manhattan. "We pay you rent once a month, plus a cut on all earnings--"

"It's not the _law _I'm concerned with, Frank," Bart cut in, addressing the _consigliere _but keeping his gaze on Don Vincenzio, watching for any reaction on the impassive face whose dark eyes bored into his.

Frank's brow creased. "Is it the profitability, then? Mister Bass, we are _certain _this casino will prove to be a highly successful venture. Your building is near JFK Airport and right across a hotel. There's no way we can lose."

"The building's location _is _the problem," said Bart. "It's very convenient, true, but it also happens to be in La Vecchia territory."

A tense silence fell heavily on the office. After what seemed like an eternity to Bart, it was broken by Don Vincenzio's chuckle.

"Well done," he said almost admiringly.

Bart inclined his head at the compliment. "I deeply apologize, Don Vincenzio, but I refuse to be caught in the middle."

Don Vincenzio's lips twisted. "So the great Bartholomew Bass is afraid of a little fighting."

"Of course not." Bart mirrored the parody of a smile. "But it's not my war."

"I am not so sure," Don Vincenzio mused, stroking his chin. "By not renting your building out to the Carandinis, you are siding with the La Vecchias."

A chill shot down Bart's spine. Was the man _serious? _"I don't see it that way."

"We will talk again," Don Vincenzio announced loudly, standing up. "Perhaps next time you will be more… open-minded."

_I doubt it, _Bart thought, but he stood up and shook hands with Don Vincenzio and Frank. Flanked by the two bodyguards, they turned and left, and it wasn't until the doors had closed behind them and he was alone that Bart could breathe freely for the first time since the meeting began.

"Damn it," he muttered under his breath with an uncharacteristic savage twinge. He'd thought the rivalry between the Five Families had died down. Didn't they already have a committee or something? To be fair to Carandini, though, it was a bad year for drugs, the police were taking harsher measures. Bart couldn't blame the man for wanting to expand his empire, even if it meant stepping on a few toes. And the casino _was _a very good idea, but Tommasino La Vecchia's wrath would know no bounds.

Bart Bass had gotten to where he was without making deals with Mafia, and he wasn't about to start now.

* * *

At first, Chuck Bass was puzzled as to why he woke up in such a bad mood, but as sleep fell away, memory came rushing back.

"Serena," Chuck grumbled as he eased out of bed. Last night he and his stepsister had engaged in one of their biggest fights to date, about Blair Waldorf and what Chuck had done to her.

"_How _could _you, Chuck?" Serena had yelled, eyes bright with fury. "You bailed out on her at the last minute, you didn't answer a single call or reply to any of her messages while she was in Europe, and when she finally came back, you were in bed with another girl! You vile, low, despicable scum--"_

"_I hardly think you're in any position to talk, Serena," Chuck had retorted. "After all, _I'm _not the one who had sex with her boyfriend-at-the-time."_

"_Blair and I are already past that!"_

"_Still doesn't erase the fact that it happened."_

"_You're a monster, Chuck," Serena had said contemptuously. "You disgust me. I never want to speak to you again."_

_Chuck had tried to drawl "I love it when you talk dirty like that" just to infuriate her further, but the words somehow lost their effect when he had to raise his voice because she was already storming away from him. She hadn't even bothered to give him a backward glance._

Effing Serena. Where did she get the nerve to act so self-righteous? She'd practically slept with the entire Upper East Side!

_Except you, _whispered a voice in the back of his mind.

And that, Chuck admitted to himself, was one of the things that annoyed him most about Serena van der Woodsen. Except for a few drunken kisses and an _almost _blowjob-- ah, sophomore year-- he hadn't gotten to taste her charms before she came up with this new bad-girl-gone-good-act. Of course, there was also the fact that she was his stepsister, but Chuck wasn't turned off by _that. _In fact, it added a deliciously forbidden touch to his fantasies.

But that was all they would be-- fantasies-- because Serena was now an uppity little bitch and he'd sooner kill her than kiss her.

His annoyance still hadn't died down by the time he'd finished getting ready for school, and he was suddenly seized by the urge to ruin Serena's day before it even began. And Chuck Bass, as everyone knew, always gave in to his urges.

He sauntered into Serena's room. She wasn't there, but her uniform was laid out neatly on the already made bed. He pressed an ear to the bathroom door; the water wasn't running, so she wasn't in there either.

_Probably went to eat breakfast first, _Chuck thought, grinning maliciously. She'd be absolutely _pissed _to find him smoking in her bathroom again. He turned the knob, pushed the door open, and--

Serena was stepping out of the shower. Dripping wet. And naked.

Chuck felt like all the breath had been sucked out of him. Serena's blue-gray eyes were wide and her pink lips were slightly parted in shock. Her long golden hair streamed past her shoulders, a few strands clinging to perfectly formed breasts. Droplets of water clung to her bare, flawless skin, and her legs seemed to go on forever, and she was the most glorious thing Chuck had ever seen. Arousal stirred deep within him, and he took a few entranced steps forward--

And promptly reeled backward grunting in pain when Serena's fist connected with the side of his nose.

"What the hell's the matter with you?" he snarled, cupping his hands over the injured body part.

"What's the matter with _me?" _she shrieked, wrapping a towel around herself, and even in his pain and anger Chuck felt a twinge of regret that her body had now been concealed from view. "You're the one who barged in, pervert!"

Okay, he didn't seem to be bleeding. But there was a sort-of dark blur at the corner of his vision that he hoped would go away soon. "You are _so _paying for my plastic surgery bill, S."

"Wimp," Serena shot back, shoving him out her room. How someone so thin could be so strong was a mystery to Chuck.

"I have to say," he said, leering at her, "that was a _nice _sight to behold first thing in the morning."

Serena smiled tightly. "As seductive as those words are, Chuck, they really would work better if you weren't currently holding your broken nose."

He straightened up in alarm. "You _broke _my nose?" he blurted out before he could stop himself.

Her eyes gleaming triumphantly, she slammed the door in his face.

* * *

"Stupid Chuck," Serena muttered as she got dressed. She had _never _understood what Blair had seen in him in the first place. She couldn't believe that, right after he had broken her best friend's heart, he was throwing lascivious remarks at her. _Not that he ever stopped doing that in the first place, _she corrected herself. The guy was an asshole, plain and simple. _I hope I _did _break his nose._

Although that would be a shame, because it was a rather nice nose…

Serena shook her head in disgust, pushing the traitorous thought away. Chuck wasn't as poster-boy-good-looking as, say, Nate Archibald, but he _did _ooze sex appeal. If only people's physical appearances could be an accurate reflection of their souls.

She opened the door and stifled a groan. "What are you still doing here?" she demanded testily.

"We _are _taking the limo, yes?"

Serena rolled her eyes and marched down the hallway, Chuck at her heels. "So where is our little brother?" he asked once they reached the elevator. "Is he attempting to break the Guinness world record _you_ set for most classes cut in one year?"

"Eric is sick. He can't go to school today," Serena snapped. "And he's not _our _brother, he's _my _brother, and I won't have you influencing him."

The elevator doors slid open to reveal four somber-looking men in dark suits. Serena fought down a prickle of uneasiness that rose up in her as she and Chuck squeezed in. There was something not right about these men, something dangerous, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"If you and Eric are so close, then why did he tell _me _first?" Chuck taunted in her ear, referring to Eric's coming out.

Serena blinked. That stung. The problem with Chuck was that he knew _exactly _which buttons to press. "I can't even fathom how insecure you must be to hold on to a petty victory like that," she retorted.

"I have _nothing _to be insecure about."

"Really? What about your nose?"

His hand flew up to his nose again, and she laughed.

"I'll get you for that," he promised as the descending elevator came to a stop. The doors opened and they walked into the lobby, still bickering.

* * *

Don Vincenzio watched their retreating backs. "Who are they?" he asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Frank was caught off-guard by the question, but quickly recovered, clearing his throat. "Oh-- Bass' kids. Well, actually, his son and his stepdaughter."

"I _knew _I've seen them from somewhere." Now Don Vincenzio could recall the pictures of the van der Woodsen-Bass nuptials that had wreathed the society pages and magazines for days. A plan began to form.

"Frank, we're getting our casino," Don Vincenzio proclaimed. "One way or another."


	2. Chapter 2

**Fandom:** Gossip Girl  
**Title:** Living corpses in the freshness of the air  
**Ship(s):** Chuck/Serena, Blair/Nate  
**Rating:** R  
**Warning(s):** Spoilers for the first season, violence and sexy times

**Summary:** The non-judging Breakfast Club finds itself tangled in a web of underworld intrigue. Chuck and Serena are kidnapped, Blair and Nate try to save them. But darn these stupid hormones, they complicate everything.

* * *

**Chapter:** 2/10  
**Word count:** 1, 733

**AN:** I hadn't intended to, but the chapter got away from me and so there's a little Serena/Dan and Chuck/Blair here. Because life just isn't hard enough. Constructive criticism and suggestions are appreciated.

* * *

**Chapter II**

"I had a lot of fun," said Blair Waldorf, tucking wind-tousled strands of chestnut hair behind her ear

"I had a lot of fun," said Blair Waldorf, tucking wind-tousled strands of chestnut hair behind her ear. "France was amazing. Daddy and Roman took me shopping in _la belle Paris." _She wrapped the last three words in a snooty French accent and Serena giggled in appreciation. "And we went to all the museums and landmarks."

Serena smiled. "I'm glad you enjoyed your vacation, B."

A shadow passed over Blair's face. "Yeah, well, it would have been better if Chuck hadn't--"

"I thought we'd agreed _not _to talk about the demon spawn," Serena cut in before lunch hour could devolve into a pity-fest. "He doesn't deserve our time, okay? He's not worthy enough for the likes of Blair Waldorf to mention or even _think _his name."

Blair laughed shortly. "He isn't, is he?"

They were sitting on the steps as per usual, a little further away from Blair's posse so they could talk in private. Blair looked down and wrinkled her nose at the sandwich Serena was happily munching on.

"Ham, cheese and mayonnaise?" she said incredulously. "Honestly, Serena, I don't know how you can eat that."

Serena rolled her eyes. "If it makes you feel any better, it's _Jamon Iberico _from Spain."

"That just makes it worse!" Blair exclaimed. "You're _desecrating _it."

"Hey, leave me alone, I'm not making fun of your granola bar."

"_My _granola bar is healthy and filling," Blair replied primly.

"Well, _my _ham sandwich is delicious--"

"Serena," said an achingly familiar voice that tugged at Serena's heart.

Dan Humphrey was standing in front of her. She hadn't seen him since they'd broken up. Was it just her imagination or had he grown taller and filled out a little more over the summer? He even had a slight tan, and he was just as scruffily handsome as she remembered, if not even more so, and her eyes suddenly welled up with unshed tears because everything had been so _perfect--_

"What do you want, Humphrey?" The sharpness of Blair's voice could have cut diamonds.

"Great to see you too, Blair," said Dan, flashing her a dry smile. He turned back to Serena, and his expression softened. "Look, Serena-- can we talk?"

"No," Blair snapped. "Go away." She brandished her yogurt spoon as if she was intending to throw the white glop at him.

"It's okay, B," Serena murmured. "Thanks."

"Fine. I'll be right here if you need me." Blair stood up and pierced Dan with one last I'm-watching-you glare before going to sit with her friends.

"So. Um. How have you been?" asked Dan, sliding into the spot Blair had vacated.

"Fine!" Serena inwardly winced at the glassy, forced cheerfulness apparent in her tone. "I've been just fine. You?"

"Oh, great," said Dan, sounding just as awkward. "It's great that you're doing… great. I'm great, too," he finished lamely.

He was near enough for Serena to inhale that mixture of lemon soap and peppermint aftershave that she loved. _Shoot. _The tears were about to spill, she could feel it.

_Think of something that makes you angry, Serena, _she counseled herself. _Anything to keep you from crying… Chuck! Think of Chuck!_

His sneer flashed in her mind. _"I always knew you and what's-his-name were doomed from the start," he had told her upon learning of the break-up._

"_Chuck, please," she had begged, closing her eyes, too tired to fight._

_Maybe something in her voice or expression had actually moved him, because he'd relented and said in a gentler tone-- well, as gentle as Chuck Bass could sound, anyway-- "I mean, come on, S, the guy was obviously an idiot. And he's from _Brooklyn."

Okay, so maybe thinking of Chuck wasn't such a good idea. Serena cleared her throat. "Dan, you wanted to talk to me about something?"

"Yeah. I…" Dan scratched the back of his head, the way he usually did when he was looking for the right words. "I've been thinking, and I've come to the conclusion that I was a moron about this whole business."

Hope rose in Serena's chest. Could it be? Was Dan actually…?

"And I know I said some things, and I really hurt you, and I wish I could take it all back. But I can't. And I'm sorry." He looked at her, his heart in his eyes. "What I _do _know is that I still love you. I… think I went crazy with missing you this summer. Or, at least, I drove Jenny and Vanessa crazy with my whining." He shook his head as Serena allowed herself a tiny smile. "So, basically, Serena, I'd like to give us another shot. If you'll still have me, that is."

_Yes, yes! _Serena wanted to scream, but all that came out was a strangled, "Oh, Dan, I…" And she trailed off there, because suddenly she wasn't so sure.

"_You know, S," Chuck had said, swishing around the martini in his cocktail glass, "if it was that easy to break you two up--"_

"_Don't say it," she'd snarled, already on her second drink._

_He had shrugged. "I'm just saying… maybe this is for the best."_

Dan was looking at her, tentative and expectant. Serena broke eye contact, gazing at her hands-- how could they be so still, when she was trembling inside?-- and biting her lip.

She _wanted _to say yes. She loved Dan, she knew she did. But for some reason, she had Chuck on the brain today and all the smarmy comments he'd made about her and Dan's failed relationship kept coming back to haunt her.

She couldn't let herself go through all the pain again. She just couldn't.

"Dan, I don't know," she said carefully. "I need… time to think."

"Oh. Okay." He sounded like a puppy she'd just kicked, and Serena had never felt more wretched in her entire life. "Well, give me a call, all right?"

"Sure," she said. She watched him stand up and walk away, his shoulders slumping, and she silently vowed to find Chuck after class and kill him.

* * *

"Nathaniel, what is _up _with you?" Chuck demanded as he and Nate Archibald trudged out of class after the last bell had rung. "Have I _offended _you in some way? You've barely said a word and you keep giving me that hurt puppy-dog look that's reserved for when you're mad about something."

At first, it seemed like Nate wasn't going to reply, then he shrugged. "I-- I don't know, man. We're friends and it's never been my place to judge you, but…" He waited until they had passed a crowd of giggling freshmen, then lowered his voice. "I just don't like what you did to Blair."

"You too?" groaned Chuck.

Nate's brow furrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Forget it." _But no wonder you and Serena get along so famously. _"Anyway, the Blair thing-- it just wasn't working out."

"Yeah? Well, you could have handled it better."

"Oh, _please,_ Nathaniel. How exactly could I have handled it better?"

"Hmm, let me think." Nate snapped his fingers. "Oh! I got it-- maybe by breaking up with her _before _you slept with your stepmother's interior decorator?"

"That was in the heat of the moment--"

"But how could you do that to Blair? You said you loved her."

Chuck threw up his hands. "_I'm _Chuck Bass."

Nate stared at him. "Well, _Chuck Bass, _this isn't like before, you know? This isn't just some girl. This is Blair."

_I _know_ that, _Chuck wanted to yell. _But what can I do? I'm a trainwreck. I'm a mess, and I messed it up. _Sometimes he wished he'd done things differently; he prided himself on not having a conscience, but he was still haunted by the look on Blair's face when she caught him having sex with another girl-- whose name he couldn't even remember now.

But he didn't' say anything, because Nate spoke again.

"It just makes me think that, if you can't be considerate of _her _feelings, there's no way you can be considerate of anyone else's." Nate shook his head with a sigh. "It's time to grow up, Chuck. I wish you'd realize that."

Oh, now _this _was too much. Chuck's eyes narrowed. "You'll excuse me if I don't take kindly to being given a morality lecture by you of all people, Nathaniel," he said tersely. "In case you've forgotten, _you _cheated on Blair, too."

With that last parting shot, he stalked away.

* * *

Chuck's bad mood was not improved by the cigarette smoke he drew into his lungs as he waited for the limo outside the school gates, and it _definitely _wasn't helped by Serena marching up to him looking ready for war.

Normally, Chuck would have greeted her with another one of his trademark lewd remarks, but it had been a ghastly day, so instead he snarled, "_Now _what did I do?"

"You jerk--" Serena halted and closed her eyes momentarily, as if willing herself not to explode. Then she continued in a lower, but still just as savage voice. "Dan wanted to get back together--"

Chuck rolled his eyes. "Well, then, congratulations to the happy couple. Now go tell someone who cares."

Serena hit him on the shoulder with her Louis Vuitton tote. "I said I'd _think _about it. I didn't say yes. Because of _you!"_

"Wait, hold on a second." Chuck was extremely confused. "What do _I _have to do with any of this?"

"All those horrible things you said about Dan-- they made me doubt-- _you _made me doubt--"

"S." Chuck let his cigarette fall to the ground, then clasped Serena's shoulders firmly. The girl was practically hyperventilating and her eyes were rimmed red. "S," he repeated. "You're being irrational."

She batted his hands away, snapping, "Don't touch me."

A nondescript black van pulled up in front of them, and several men swarmed out. Chuck took a cautious step backwards, wondering what the ruckus was, when suddenly his arms were clamped in several vise-like grips. A chill shot through him.

"What the _hell _is going on?" he demanded as he and Serena were manhandled into the van. Straining, he managed to free one arm and swing it wildly, hitting one of the strange men on the jaw. But his triumph was short-lived, as he felt the cold metal butt of a gun slam into the base of his skull, and then nothing.


End file.
